Rains of Jabiim
by Ahsokafanboy1138
Summary: This is what I think the Battle of Jabiim would be like in the continuity of TCW.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

One month after the Battle of Geonosis…

It was a rainy day on Jabiim, in other words, perfectly ordinary as far as the weather was concerned, thought the Jedi Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. It was not ordinary as far everything else was concerned, however. Ten thousand clones from the newly unveiled Grand Army of the Republic and thirty Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans, were there on the planet. Leading the mission was his own Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, recently appointed to take the place of Coleman Trebor, who had been killed a month prior. They had come to Jabiim in an effort to drive the Separatists off the Republic world. Unfortunately, a large number of the populace on Jabiim supported the Separatists. The Jedi were now leading a mission to liberate the planet, with the help of Jabiimi Loyalists, led by Colonel Orliss Gillmunn, who was now briefing them on the situation.

"This is our adversary: Commander Alto Stratus," the Jabiimi colonel said, showcasing a hologram of a bearded man with a claymore-style sword and a red coat. "Three months ago, he organized a coup that killed most of the government and replaced it with a Separatist one. He has promised exclusive mining rights for the Separatists in exchange for weapons."

"Can we negotiate with him?" asked Ellia Leska, one of the other Jedi sent along with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She was slightly shorter than Anakin, young and beautiful, with red hair. Standing next to her was her apprentice, Vaabesh the Gand. The other Jedi in the room were Master Nico Diath and his Padawan Tae, who was also his nephew, along with Glaive the Fondorian and his Padawan Zule Xiss, a Falleen with a genetic mutation that gave her red skin instead of green. Master Pol Norcuna, a Rutian Twi'lek, and his human apprentice, Mak Lotor, were at the city of Choal alongside Master Jakob Sirrus and his Padawan, Aubrie Wyn, Ellia's cousin. Other Master-Padawan pairs included Knol Venari, a Bothan that had mastered pyrokinesis to the point of being called the Fire-Eater, and Elora Sund, her Sullustan apprentice, alongside Jon Antilles, a human who wandered across galaxy until now, and his recently assigned Padawan, the Aqualish Padawan Windo "Warble" Nend, whose previous Master had been killed at Geonosis, and Master Cei Vooktu, a human, and his Padawan Dama Montalvo. There was also a Weaquay Jedi named Kossex and a human Padawan named Tohno. Finally, there was the human Master Shon Kon Ray and the Zabrak Padawan Kass Tod.

"No, we cannot negotiate with Stratus", Gillmunn answered. "He hates Jedi, the Republic, and everyone who sides with them. The only way to stop the Separatists here is to remove Stratus, either by capturing or killing him."

Just then, the holocom terminal burst to life with a screech and a whine. It activated to reveal a human teenager in a green overcoat on the other end.

"Dad? Dad, are you there?!" he yelled.

"Nolan, I am here," Captain Gillmunn said to his son. "What is happening?"

"Stratus and his army have arrived with hordes of battle droids!" he screamed. "And there are a pair of psychos he brought along to help him! Send backup!"

After hearing the distress call, Anakin, Obi-Wan and the rest of their forces took off in their gunships to reinforce Choal. Thirty minutes later, they had arrived at the battle. In addition to the battle droids, thousands of Jabiimi Separatists were attacking the city. Several of them wore red armor and had repulsor boots to skim over the muddy terrain. Anakin jumped out of the gunship with a grenade belt and telekinetically sent each grenade to an enemy squad, killing twenty-five Separatists. He then unleashed a shockwave in every direction when he landed, destroying thirty battle droids. He proceeded to behead a soldier wearing repulsor boots and ran to Republic lines, cutting down every Separatist in his path. He reunited with Obi-Wan behind the front line, along with Nico, Ellia, and Tae.

"Was that really necessary, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

"You know me, Master," he said back. "I do love to make an entrance. Besides, there are fewer Separatists now."

"Okay Anakin, we need to find the other Jedi," Obi-Wan said. At which point they headed toward the southern flank of the battle, while Tae went to the eastern flank. When they arrived, they saw a pale bald woman with a pair of red lightsabers fighting Zule. The dark jedi had already beheaded Glaive, Vooktu, Montalvo, and stabbed Kon Ray in the heart as well as Antilles in the neck. A short distance away Aubrie, Pol, and Jakob Sirrus were battling a giant, clad entirely in armor, who had already blasted Kossex's head to pieces with a point-blank blaster shot to the face. Anakin and Obi-Wan went to help Zule while the others went to help the three fighting the armored giant.

"I think it is time for you to surrender, my dear," Obi-Wan said to the pale bald woman. "You are alone against all of us."

"No… I'm not," she said in a gravelly voice. Then, the dozens of corpses around them picked themselves up and proceeded to attack the Jedi. Anakin swung his lightsaber around in an arc, slicing through five of the zombies. Zule slashed at two of the monsters. While Zule was distracted, the Dark Jedi cut her left arm off and knocked the Falleen back with a force push.

"Hey Asajj, you're up!" said the giant she was working with. He sent Nico flying with a powerful punch after the elder Diath's lightsaber became lodged in the abdomen of the giant. The one called Asajj, then jumped up and cut the Jedi Master in half. The giant then hit Sirrus over the head with a huge bola, instantly killing the Jedi. An angered Aubrie sliced off the right hand of the giant, who knocked the padawan back with a huge kick. A tentacled hand then formed in the place of the severed one and he wrapped it around the head of Norcuna, pulling the Twi'lek close enough for the monster to shoot him to death. Just as Anakin and Obi-Wan were surrounded by the zombies, Zule returned and sliced apart seven, using her right arm to hold her lightsaber. Anakin pulled the pin on a grenade worn by one of the zombies and pushed it back. The resulting explosion destroyed most of the remaining zombies. A piece of shrapnel hit Asajj in the abdomen, causing her to grunt in pain. She sent them flying back with a massive force push and then ran back to the Separatist lines.

"Let her go," Obi-Wan said. "We need to help Aubrie." After that command, the trio ran towards the Padawan battling the giant Separatist. The giant had knocked her onto her back and was about to crush her when Anakin leapt forward and sliced the monster in half.

"Are you okay!?" he hastily asked Aubrie.

"Behind you!" she screamed. Anakin turned around to see the Separatist had reattached his torso and was now whole again. He then grabbed Anakin with his tentacled hand and tossed the young Jedi away.

"As if that's never happened to me before!" the monster exclaimed. "It's been over seven centuries since I've killed Jedi, meatbag. I need to make up for lost time." He then fired a rocket at Anakin, who jumped out of the way just in time.

"I will let Yoda know his Master's killer has returned," he proclaimed. "My message will be written in your blood!"

At that moment, Ellia stabbed him in the back of the head, emerging from his eye socket. Undeterred, he rapidly spun around, knocking the lightsaber out of her grip. He then grabbed her by the throat and extended a blade from his wrist gauntlet.

"You have a pretty face," he said to her as his eye reformed. "I will take it as a souvenir." He then rammed his blade through her scalp, instantly killing her. He tossed a grenade at the other Jedi, knocking them back. At that moment, Venari arrived, having now secured the west flank.

"You won't kill any more Jedi!" the Bothan proclaimed. She swung her lightsaber at his neck, which he dodged. He then grabbed her leg and pulled her off the ground.

"I won't kill you," he said. "I will give you your favorite food, _Fire-eater_." He then shoved his wrist-mounted flamethrower into her mouth and activated it, burning her from the inside out. He tossed the burning Bothan at Anakin, who dodged the screaming Jedi Master. Anakin swung his lightsaber, but the giant activated a pair of shields that covered his forearms and parried the strikes. The monster then fired countless flechettes at the other Jedi. Obi-Wan was able to evade them but Aubrie's arm was riddled with them. That was stopped when a clone lieutenant jumped on the monster and started shooting him in the back of the head repeatedly until the giant tossed him onto Aubrie. Anakin heard a whirring sound fast approaching and moved to the side. Just as Anakin moved, a sword swung through the space behind his neck, severing his Padawan braid. Anakin turned around and saw that Stratus had joined the fight.

"The Jedi send children to subjugate us?" the Jabiimi Separatist leader asked incredulously. "They must be more desperate than I thought!" He swung again at Anakin, who ducked and sliced through both of Stratus's knees with his lightsaber. The Separatist screamed in pain at this, and fell to the ground. The giant Durge pushed past the Jedi, picking up Stratus and running away at astonishing speed.

"This is Commander Durge!" the giant screamed into his comlink. "Stratus is severely injured! I am evacuating him to headquarters! All forces, commence a fighting retreat immediately!"

As Durge ran towards the Separatist lines, an entire droid battalion moved in to cover his escape. The Jedi defended against the enemy onslaught valiantly, each destroying entire platoons of super battle droids on their own. Then, one of the droids fired a rocket at them. Obi-Wan caught the brunt of it, sending him flying. An enraged Anakin then sent a massive force push that obliterated the remaining droids. He ran to Obi-Wan and called for a medic.

Six hours later…

After eliminating the remaining stragglers, Anakin went to the war room. He quickly found that all of the Knights and Masters assigned to the mission, apart from Obi-Wan, had all been killed. Obi-Wan himself was badly injured, being hit in the chest with multiple fragments, having a lung collapsed as a result of the detonation, and a skull fracture as a result of hitting his head as he fell. The only reason he hadn't been killed instantly was because he had shielded himself with the force at the last possible instant. He was still alive because he had gone into a deep healing trance. All the other Padawans had lost their Masters that day and were coping with it in different ways. Aubrie was healing as many clones and Jabiimi citizens as she could. Mak and Kass were looking through the aftermath of the battle for salvageable equipment. Elora was sitting beside Tae in the medbay. Tae had been rendered unconscious by his telepathic connection to his uncle, whose death had reverberated back into his mind. Warble was sitting beside Zule, providing comforting words as her prosthetic arm was attached. Vaabesh was helping dig out Tohno and hundreds of civilians who had been trapped inside a bunker when apartment building above them had collapsed. It was Anakin's duty to report to the Jedi council and the chancellor what had happened.

"Anakin, it is good to see you," said the hologram of Palpatine, standing alongside the holograms of Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Shaak Ti and Ki-Adi-Mundi. "Though I must admit, I thought Master Kenobi would be making this report."

"Obi-Wan is in a deep healing trance, chancellor," Anakin answered. "All of the other Jedi Knights and Masters are dead"

"What?!" exclaimed Fisto. "How could this have happened?"

"Stratus isn't fighting alone, Master Fisto," Anakin answered. "He has a Dark Jedi called Asajj and an indestructible giant named Durge helping him."

"Durge?" asked Mundi. "When I was Master Yoda's apprentice, I heard the story of how his own master, Quantro, was killed by a Gen'Dai mercenary called Durge."

"Well, this Durge claimed to have done so," Anakin said. "Master Mundi, what can you tell me about Gen'Dai, seeing as how I'm facing one who killed about eleven Jedi today?"

"They are a species of invertebrates who can live for thousands of years because of their advanced healing factor," clarified Mundi. "They can survive hard vacuum, explosions, electrocution, even beheading. It is virtually impossible to sneak up on them, because they have a large mass of nerves clustered together and can sense the heartbeats of anyone within twenty yards. If you cause enough damage to them, they will fall into a state of hibernation in order to heal their injuries."

"Thank you for the information, Masters," he said. "When can we be expecting reinforcements?"

"Unfortunately, there are none available, Anakin," Shaak said. "You are heavily outnumbered and your master is incapacitated. You must retreat."

"Master Ti, there are not enough ships to evacuate the troops, much less all the Loyalist Jabiimi scattered across the planet," Anakin said. "If the Separatists win, they will gain access to all of the untapped ore on this planet and build enough droids to occupy Alderaan. Every Republic supporter here will either be killed or enslaved. Clearly, retreat is not an option."

"I appreciate your compassion for your troops and Jabiimi, Padawan Skywalker," said Plo. "But you and the survivors must evacuate while you still can. With Obi-Wan incapacitated, there is no one left in command."

"That is a problem quickly remedied," interjected Palpatine. "Anakin, I am promoting you to the rank of General."

"Chancellor, it is not within your power to make Anakin a Jedi Knight," Fisto said.

"I am not making him a Knight, I am making him a General," Palpatine said. "He is now the commander of all Republic forces on Jabiim. If they are to survive, it must be under a unified command."

"Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me chancellor," Anakin said. "Rest assured, masters, I will relinquish this rank as soon as Obi-Wan is capable of taking command once more."

"I think that is a fare compromise, my friends," said the chancellor.

"I have no objections to this plan," said Plo. "I think it is time we went to inform Master Yoda that the Separatists have enlisted the help of Durge."

Just after the holograms flickered out, the clone lieutenant who helped fight against Durge walked in.

"General Skywalker, the other commanders have assembled in the meeting room," he informed Anakin.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," the new General said back. Just as Anakin proceeded to the door he asked "What is your name?"

"My designation is CT-7567, sir," he said.

"I said name, not your serial number," Anakin clarified.

"I wasn't given one, General," the clone said.

"You are not just a copy, Lieutenant, you are a person in your own right," he said. "Your name is now Rex. Oh, and change your armor. You are now a captain."

"Thank you, sir," the newly named clone said.

 **This is my first chapter of my Jabiim story. I made Leska Aubrie's cousin because, as anyone else who has read the comic can attest, they look very similar. I added the masters of the other Padawans because I thought it was strange that they hadn't been assigned new masters after the previous ones were killed. Yeah, there is a war on, but Anakin was assigned to Mundi after Obi-Wan was presumed dead. I replaced Alpha with Rex because that is what they did in the show. I added Ventress and Durge because they were my favorite villains from the** _ **Republic**_ **comic books. I see Stratus as a Che Guevara: dangerous but ultimately a speaker with little military experience and his first encounter with Anakin in this story reflects this. (BTW, I recognize Che as the cowardly, racist, homophobic barbarian he was.) As such, Dooku has dispatched a pair of seasoned Jedi Killers to help Stratus. I had Palpatine give Anakin the provisional rank of General because it is definitely something he would do to make Anakin feel as if the Chancellor has more confidence in him than the council. I made Nolan Gillmunn (From the equally awesome sequel comic- In The Shadows Of Their Fathers) a teenager because he didn't seem to have aged a single day in twenty years. Anyway, please read and review ! Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Durge watched as Stratus's holocom buzzed on with Count Dooku answering on the other end.

"What is it?" he asked.

"These minions of yours have failed, Count!" Stratus yelled. "They failed to provide adequate protection, Ventress ran away to the hospital after a scratch, and Durge forfeited the battle as soon as he ran into trouble! I lost my legs because of their incompetence!"

"Really?" Dooku asked. "Commander Durge, what do you have to say to President Stratus's accusation?"

"First of all, Asajj and I advised against attacking Choal with our current forces," Durge answered. "We only attacked because of the President's impatience. Even so, Asajj and I were winning the fight. She only retreated after a piece of shrapnel hit her abdomen, requiring surgery and a blood transfusion. Even so, it was down to Kenobi, Skywalker, and a few other worthless Jedi. Then Stratus countermanded the strategy Asajj and I had come up with. I only retreated after Skywalker anticipated the President's obvious sneak attack and severed his legs."

"You were taking too long!" Status yelled.

"I informed you that we would not liberate your planet overnight, Mr. President," stated Dooku. "I dispatched my two best commanders available in order to help you. But they cannot help you if you ignore them."

"This is my planet, Count!" Stratus shouted. "We have been abused by the Republic for too long! As long as the Jedi and their collaborators still live, Jabiim will never be free!"

"Your speeches are very good at galvanizing support, from your people," said Dooku. "Unfortunately, they do not translate to effective battlefield tactics. Which is why I dispatched my two top agents to help you."

"They were taking too long!" Stratus yelled. "I guess you are as useless as every other Jedi."

After that, Durge had enough. He never liked it when his employers didn't appreciate what he did for them. But this useless politician had no right to insult a Sith Lord. Durge lunged forward and picked Stratus up by the neck.

"Never insult my liege ever again!" Durge shouted at Stratus. "The first thing you need to learn as a leader is gratitude. We lost because I needed to save your hide. The Confederacy has given you an entire army of Battle Droids. In addition, the Sith have gifted you with myself and a Dark Jedi assassin, all for you. And yet, because of your incompetence, we lost the battle and very nearly this world!"

"Durge, let him down," commanded Dooku. Durge then obeyed the man he knew as Lord Tyrannus, dropping the leader of the Jabiimi Nationalists back into his chair, leaving him gasping for breath. "Do not think this buys you immunity, President Stratus. The commander has every right to be angry with you. If our deal is to continue, you must listen to the advisors I so graciously sent you. Otherwise, I will be forced to reconsider our arrangement. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Count Dooku," Stratus answered.

"Good," stated Dooku. "I am dispatching reinforcements, including a group of powerful assassin droids. They will arrive in four days and will be more than adequate against the Republic forces."

"Thank you, my lord," said Durge. "Rest assured, if all goes as planned and Cyclops Base is completed on schedule, they won't be necessary."

Anakin had called a meeting of the other padawans and Colonel Gillmunn. He was about to inform them of his appointment to the rank of General when he saw Aubrie was missing.

"Where is Aubrie?" he asked.

"She went on a scouting mission with Nolan, Anakin," answered Vaabesh. "She felt the need to get outside."

"Of course she did," muttered Zule. Zule had a rather primitive prosthetic replacement for her left arm. "No need to help me deal with the pain of having this grafted into my body. Oh no, she needs to get lost in the rain."

"She would have stayed if she thought you would be awake for the procedure," said Warble.

"She still should have stayed," retorted Zule. "Anyway, what is this about Anakin?"

"We aren't getting reinforcements," Anakin answered. "And there aren't any Jedi Masters or Knights coming to take command."

"Does this mean we are to retreat?" asked Elora.

"No, Chancellor Palpatine has given me the rank of General for the remainder of the battle or until Obi-Wan wakes up," Anakin said.

"What?!" shouted Gillmunn. "If a bunch of Jedi Masters who knew nothing of this planet could not win, I am to expect a child can?"

Anakin then moved in front of Gillmunn and looked him in the eye.

"The Supreme Chancellor and the Jedi Council think I can win," Anakin retorted. "Given how I am the most powerful Jedi here, I find your lack of faith disturbing."

"I don't doubt your combat prowess," Gillmunn said. "You did better than anyone else against the freaks Stratus had with him. But being a good fighter does not make you a leader. If more experienced Jedi-,"

"I am more than capable of leading, Colonel," Anakin cut him off. "Unlike other Jedi, I know what is necessary for victory. And nothing will stop me from destroying Stratus and his lackeys, and thereby liberating this planet. I will win."

"Your confidence is appreciated, Skywalker," Vaabesh said. "But we should keep a reasonable idea of our chances. It might be best to step back and-"

" _I will win_ ," Anakin repeated in a tone that left no room for argument. "And if you want to call me by my surname, you must address me as General."

"Take it easy, Anakin," Mak interjected. "He didn't mean anything by it. You have my support Anakin, you always will after that hive of Gundarks you saved me, Obi-Wan, and Pol from on Esseles."

"If Mak trusts you, so will I," Kass said.

"Same here," Tae affirmed. "Just try to keep your feelings to yourself. I am having enough trouble handling my telepathy without Uncle Nico."

"Just listen to my thoughts," said Elora. "It will help you get better. As for me, I will follow you."

"I suppose this means we might be calling you Master Skywalker soon," Tohno commented. "Looks like I will need to get used to your orders. Might as well start now."

"I am sorry for inadvertently offending you, General," said Vaabesh. "I will do everything in my power to help you.

"I question the wisdom of such heavy-handed aggressiveness," Warble added. "But the Council does not, so I will follow your lead."

"Kriff that, Warble!" shouted Zule. "No more useless diplomacy, no more second-guessing what we are doing, and no more pointless hesitation! I'm behind you 100% Anakin."

Anakin smiled, he figured Zule would be the most open to him taking command. She always was very proactive about being a Jedi.

"I guess I have no choice," Gillmunn said. "Everyone is willing to accept you as a General. I just hope this won't turn out to be a mistake."

"I would suggest you keep such doubts to yourself," Anakin said to the Jabiimi. "We don't want morale going even lower than before."

"I understand, sir," Gillmunn said. "I won't communicate any such doubts to anyone."

Rex then walked into the room, having changed into the armor of a captain.

"Sir, I have heard back from Star Team," he said. Star Team was a group of clones who had grown up together and were led by Lieutenant Marik Orar. Marik was a young Mandalorian whose father had been hired to train clones. As Star Team was made up of clones trained by his father, Marik saw them as his brothers. "They have spotted a convoy transporting construction material. It was headed for Razor Coast."

"Tell Lieutenant Orar to follow but keep a safe distance," Anakin ordered. "We can't afford to lose him or his team."

Zule sighed in relief. She was very good friends with Marik. The fact he and Zule had often gone off on their own without contacting anyone led Anakin to believe they were becoming more than just friends. Then Rex heard something on his comlink.

"General Skywalker, Commander Wyn and Corporal Gillmunn have returned from their scouting mission," he reported. "They are headed here now."

Two minutes later, Aubrie and Nolan entered.

"Nolan, where were you?" asked his father. "You should have been back here hours ago."

"We needed to take a detour to avoid a Nationalist regiment, Dad," Nolan explained.

"Was that all that kept you?" asked Orliss.

"Yes, Colonel," answered Aubrie with an assuring tone. "Has anything happened while we were away?"

Anakin and the other Padawans proceeded to inform her of all that happened in her absence. Aubrie was a little surprised to learn Anakin was now in charge but accepted Anakin as the leader.

"You were already able to defeat Stratus and the pair who killed our masters," said Aubrie. "I'm sure that you will be able to do so again."

"Thank you for your confidence," Anakin responded. "Now, what did you discover on your scouting mission?"

"We found the Droid Control station," Aubrie answered. Nolan then stepped forward and pulled out a camera, which he then inserted into the holographic display. "It is in Hyber Canyon, right here," she pointed at the display. It was a gigantic fortress surrounded by tanks and ground troops.

"Wait, I thought that battle droids no longer needed a central computer," said Kass. "Didn't they all get brains after the Invasion of Naboo? And shouldn't it be in space regardless?"

"Yes, but most of the droids here are older models," explained Anakin. "They still need a central computer for peak efficiency. As for why it's down here, the weather no doubt makes the signal penetrating the atmosphere very difficult." He then looked at Aubrie and Nolan. "Please continue," he said.

"General Skywalker is correct," said Nolan. "There are numerous relay stations across the planet but this is the central hub. If the hub is destroyed, the droids will be in chaos with nothing to rely on except those cheap brains of theirs."

"I'm not sure," said Colonel Gillmunn. "In addition to the droids outside, there is a large number of Nimbus Commandos inside, and according to the symbol they wear, they are led by Colonel Natas Mazzi."

"He will go down as easily as Stratus when he meets us," Zule boasted.

"Mazzi isn't a politician," said Gillmunn. "He is an actual soldier who won battles against the Trandoshan and Lythian raiders. He knows how to fight a war."

"And so do I," asserted Anakin. "I will show Mazzi there is a difference between pirates and an actual army led by Jedi."

"The only way we will be able to attack them is through this narrow passage," said Vaabesh, pointing at the front of the hologram. "They will surely be expecting us and we will only be able to move one squad in at a time."

"No," Anakin said, pointing toward several small paths. "We will attack at multiple angles through these pathways to draw the enemy away while I lead an elite team of clones to destroy the facility."

"Understood, sir," said Gillmunn. "I shall lead our forces to the best of my ability."

"Actually, Zule will be in charge of your portion of the battle," Anakin said. Gillmunn looked on in shock. Zule smirked.

"But, sir, I have seniority," the colonel said.

"You are also too indecisive to be in command," Anakin retorted. "Zule is not afraid to make a decision or to be on the front lines. Since you could learn something from her, you are under her command for now." Anakin then turned around to look at Rex. "Rex, assemble the twenty troopers here and tell them to meet us in the barracks," he said.

"Understood sir," Rex obeyed and then opened his comlink.

"I guess I will inform my men of what your orders are, sir," said Gillmunn. "I also will tell them of how my advice doesn't mean anything to you."

"Remember who is in command, Colonel," Anakin said as he walked away with Rex. "I would rather not remind you again."

 **For those of you wondering why I included the Droid central computer, in the last episode of the Ryloth arc, we saw that some droids were still controlled by a central computer, in which one more modern squad held up the remains of one such battle droid and proclaimed they were independent thinkers before saying Roger Roger in quick succession. I hope I captured the behavior of the Padawan Pack, as well. I had Anakin act rather confrontational because he wouldn't let anyone challenge him getting his way finally. Marik Orar is from another story whose name and author I can't remember and he was in a relationship with Zule. I know that Anakin never interacted with Mak before but I figured I could make a reference to Anakin and Obi-Wan's elevator talk in AOTC. I also think Zule would support Anakin the most because she is the most aggressive. And before you ask, yes, I based Stratus's behavior off of that of Rash from the Onderon arc. The only reason Dooku hasn't killed him is because of Jabiim's importance. Colonel Mazzi is mentioned in the Roleplaying Guide.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Anakin followed Rex into the barracks, seeing twenty clones standing at attention.

"General, these are the best troopers I could find," said Rex, introducing Anakin to the clones with the best service records present.

"What is your name, private?" Anakin asked one of the troopers.

"I was not given one, sir," he answered.

"You are now Appo, the rest of you find yourselves your own names," Anakin said to the twenty soldiers. "This unit is now known as Torrent Company. When our army attacks the Nationalist regiment guarding the enemy base, I will lead you into the control station personally to destroy it."

"Are you sure, Anakin?" asked Tohno as she walked into the room.

"Are you here to question me like Gillmunn?" Anakin asked back. "I can do this, and no Separatist will stop me."

"I don't doubt you, Anakin," Tohno said. "But it never hurts to have a little help sometimes."

"You are free to accompany me, if that is what you are asking," Anakin said.

"I am and thank you for allowing me to accompany you," she responded. They proceeded to board a gunship with Torrent Company. The other Padawans boarded their own gunships along with their troops as well.

One hour later, the gunships had arrived at the edge of the canyon. The troops and Jedi departed their transports and assembled. They split into separate platoons, each led by one of the Jedi, and proceeded to their assigned positions. Gillmunn assigned one of each of his subordinates to act as a guide, with his second in command, Captain Ahlan Dunaub, leading a combat squad at his own request.

"Don't know why we're accepting orders from a spoiled brat," Anakin heard Dunaub say. He went over and proceeded to lift Dunaub off the ground with his robotic arm, grabbing the Jabiimi officer by the chin. Anakin then pulled Dunaub closer so he was looking the man in the eye.

"You would do well to remember who is in charge here," Anakin said. "I will not warn you again. If you continue such behavior, you will lose more than your command." He then let the man fall to the ground, gasping for breath. Anakin then walked back to Torrent Company.

"Was that really necessary, Anakin?" asked Tohno.

"Dunaub was undermining my command," Anakin said. "I could not let such a challenge go unanswered."

"I think you need to calm down," she said. "Yes, you couldn't just ignore such blatant disrespect, but couldn't you have reprimanded him?"

"I needed to make sure that such disrespect won't happen again," Anakin replied.

"I suppose not," she said. "I know this is new for all of us but try to remember the Jedi Code."

Anakin proceeded to the company and rolled his eyes at Tohno's statement. He didn't need that glorified list of suggestions before, and he didn't need it now. He would win without such nonsense.

"Is everyone in position?" Anakin asked Rex.

"Yes sir," the Clone captain answered. "All platoons are in position and awaiting your orders."

"Begin the attack," Anakin ordered.

"Yes sir!" obeyed Rex.

Almost immediately afterward, the platoons opened fire with their mortars, destroying large numbers of Battle Droids. The droids, led by the Nimbus Commandos, pursued them. Most of the Separatists were gunned down before making it to the pathways. Of the ones that arrived, most of them were caught in the crossfire and blown to pieces. Thirty minutes into the battle, Tae charged into the open, leading his squad. He made some headway and was a quarter of the way to the bunker when a tank fired on his position. He was hit in the chest by the blast and completely vaporized as a result. At that moment, Elora, screamed in pain and collapsed. As a result of the deep psychic connection she had to Tae, she didn't just feel his death, she experienced it. The trauma was so great, she suffered a massive brain aneurysm and died almost instantaneously. As a result, the flank failed, and Dunaub was swarmed by Nimbus Commandos, being shot to death along with his men. Mak was shot in the thigh and would have died had Kass not killed the Nimbus Commandos who had surrounded him. Zule killed an entire platoon of the bluecoat wearing Nationalists by using a blast rifle in conjunction with her lightsaber. The next five minutes became a hard fought battle for survival for the Republic forces.

Thirty-Five minutes earlier…

After seeing to it that the others had commenced the attack, Anakin led his men back to the gunship.

"Are you sure about this, sir?" asked Appo. "The wind is picking up and reaching speeds beyond the recommended flying conditions."

"Which is why we are only using one gunship," Anakin answered. "Thankfully, the wind is also scrambling their sensors, most of which will be directed to the battle below. We will be able to land unnoticed."

He then got in the pilot's seat and took off as soon as Torrent Company was aboard. He navigated the gunship to the roof of the Broadcast Station. With all the noise of battle occurring, no one noticed. He then got out alongside the other clones, minus the copilot.

"Be prepared for liftoff at any time, Broadside," he said to the gunship pilot. Broadside gained his name from the fact he liked to bombard his targets with a barrage of missiles. He was already qualified on gunships and he wanted to learn how to fly starfighters.

"Yes sir," said the pilot. Anakin proceeded to where the clones had assembled. He then stood directly across from Tohno, at which point they started cutting through the roof simultaneously, creating a hole large enough for them to go inside. Tohno went in first, followed by the clones.

"Stay here," Anakin said to the last clone. "Help make sure that the gunship stays ready and defend it from the enemy. I'm counting on you, Kix."

"Understood sir," he answered. Anakin then jumped down the hole and joined the rest of the team.

"I have looked over the schematics, sir," Rex answered. As the building was originally a seismic activity monitoring station, the schematics were on file. "The power generator is in the basement."

"Then let's get going," Anakin said. They moved throughout the corridors, silently eliminating guards along the way, either by stabbing them or strangling them. When Anakin saw the communications station, which governed all of the radio traffic for the Nationalist Army in the area, he proceeded to enter the room and slice apart the people inside with his lightsaber. Eventually, they entered the basement. After killing the maintenance workers and guards, they began planting the explosive charges on the power generator. As they were about to leave, Colonel Mazzi arrived with a large number of Nimbus Commandos and droids.

"I must admit, your strategy was very clever," he said. "But I have been doing this longer than you have, Commander Skywalker."

"It's General now," Anakin retorted.

"Very well then, General," the Separatist commander said, not noticing Rex was pulling out his gun. "As soon as communications failed, I realized there were intruders, and that you were here to eliminate the primary strength we have, our droids. Anyway, I will make this simple. Surrender now, and I can promise you that you and all your forces will receive the full benefits of the Convention of Civilized Systems. Every Jedi, your Jabiimi supporters, even those test-tube soldiers of yours will-" at which point he was shot in the face by Rex. The other clones opened fire on the Separatists. Anakin and Tohno began slicing through the droids. Rex was shot, knocking him off his feet. After Rex was injured, Anakin proceeded to destroy the rest of the Separatists in the room with a massive force push.

"Are you alright, Rex?" Anakin asked.

"Just a scratch, sir," he said. "Armor deflected the shot."

"Alright, finish setting the charges, we need to get out of here," said Anakin.

"What about him?" asked Tohno. She pointed toward a Nimbus Commando lying on the ground, writhing in pain, his left hand cut off. "This man needs medical attention. We can't just leave him here."

"Sure we can," said Anakin. "He's a Separatist and we were going to kill him anyway when we blew up the bunker."

"The Jedi Code says we should help those in need," said Tohno. "And he cannot harm anyone now."

"Of course he can, besides, the Jedi Code is of little value in a fight, Tohno," Anakin said. "The first thing anyone loses in a fight is rules."

"Anakin!" she shouted. "That is a horrible way of thinking. Our code makes us superior to our enemies." During this debate, the Nimbus Commando picked up a broken piece of metal. He then activated his repulsor boots, sending him flying forward. Before Tohno could turn around, he had stabbed her in the side, prompting Rex to shoot the Separatist through the goggles. Anakin rushed forward and caught Tohno before she fell.

"Kix!" Anakin yelled into his comlink. "Get a medical kit out, we are bringing wounded! Rex, set the charges and let's get out of here."

"Sir, the line is faltering!" shouted Kix. "Our forces are in retreat! The signal needs to be taken out now!"

"Sir, we have a problem!" Rex shouted. "That fall I took damaged the detonator. The only way to set them off now is to do so manually."

"Everyone, get to the gunship, I will repair the detonator and catch up," Anakin said.

"No, Anakin," Tohno said weakly. "There isn't enough time. I will stay here and set off the charges myself."

"Tohno, don't say that!" Anakin yelled. "I will fix the detonator and you will survive!"

"I know you can do it, Anakin," she said, breaking out of Anakin's grip and holding her side. "But by then, it will be too late to save our friends. My life for many, it is no contest. Please, let me save our friends."

"If that is your wish," Anakin said. He then proceeded to head to the gunship with the clones as Tohno walked over to the charges. After getting in the gunship and taking off, blasting several of the enemy ground troops with missiles, Tohno detonated the explosives, obliterating the compound. Half of the Separatist forces were destroyed in the blast. The remaining droids then became unable to differentiate between friend and foe and began shooting many of the Jabiimi Nationalists. As they were flying back to the staging area, Anakin saw Aubrie and eighteen Loyalist Militiamen inside a crater surrounded by Nationalists and droids, shooting at each other. The landing zone was too hot but Anakin came up with a plan.

"Broadside!" Anakin shouted. "Land at the south end of the canyon!"

"Yes sir!" answered the pilot. He proceeded to take the gunship and land it behind several boulders. Anakin and Torrent Company disembarked.

"Broadside, take off and await my orders," Anakin ordered. "Rex, dig in here and kill every Sep you see. When I have rescued Aubrie, I will extract you."

"Sir, yes sir!" obeyed Rex. Anakin then began running toward Aubrie, cutting down every enemy in his path. Eventually, he made it to the crater Aubrie and the Jabiimi were hiding in and swiftly beheaded a Nimbus Commando who was about to shoot her.

"Anakin!" shouted Aubrie, looking up from a wounded Nolan. "You are a sight for sore eyes, today."

"You are too, Aubrie, now get ready," Anakin said. He activated his comlink and contacted Broadside. "Broadside, begin an attack run on every target near my position!"

"Sir that is danger close!" replied Broadside.

"Do it now!" Anakin shouted. He then turned to Aubrie. "We are going to create a force barrier to protect ourselves from the explosions."

"Are you sure?" asked Aubrie. At which point the gunship began its attack. "Never mind!" Anakin and Aubrie diverted all of their strength to creating a barrier. It was a tremendous effort to maintain the shield during the explosions but they held, and Broadside subsequently landed after finishing his attack run. Anakin and Aubrie helped the surviving Militia get aboard and brought them back to the staging area before returning to recover Torrent Company.

"What are your orders now, sir?" asked Rex.

"Move the wounded back to base," Anakin said. "The rest of us will make sure none of the Seps survive." Within three minutes, all of the wounded were aboard gunships and heading for Choal. Eight minutes after that, the battle was over. After their victory, all of the clones, Zule, and Anakin were on their gunships, heading back to base.

Nationalist Headquarters, Razor Coast…

"But Commander Durge, you are the perfect practice target," said an oom command droid whose arms had been torn off. "You cannot die, so using you for target practice is logical!"

"Raagh!" shouted Durge as he smashed the idiotic droid whose squad had decided he was perfect for target practice.

"I am receiving reports of similar malfunctions from all across the planet," said Thorne Kraym, the Nimbus Commando colonel in charge of Stratus's personal detail.

"Stupid Neimoidians," muttered Durge. "Always choosing the cheapest product. I am really going to need to talk to Count Dooku about fixing those droids."

"At least Stratus is in the hospital and not yelling about how we are incompetent," said Ventress. After Stratus had his prosthetic legs attached and walked out of the hospital, a malfunctioning battle droid shot him. He would survive but he needed go in a bacta tank for an hour.

"Besides, we don't need those droids," continued Ventress. "Cyclops Base is almost completed, and our reinforcements will arrive tomorrow. Nothing will stop us then."

 **I hope you liked this chapter. Poor Tae. Running out of cover when your enemy has tanks is always a bad idea. And lightsabers don't deflect cannon fire. BTW, Elora died the same way in the comic, so I wasn't being lazy when writing her death. And, rather unfortunately, Tohno was one of those Jedi who follows the Stupid Good way of thinking.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had been several hours since they had returned to Choal. Kass was sitting next to Mak, who was resting after a piece of shrapnel had been surgically removed. Aubrie was healing a clone who had been injured. Anakin was standing next to Obi-Wan's hospital bed and Obi-Wan still hadn't come out of his coma. Anakin wasn't sure how Obi-Wan would react to learning what had been happening during the time he was asleep. Just then, Warble walked in and interrupted Anakin's line of thoughts.

"Everyone is assembled in the briefing room," the Aqualish said. "We are waiting for you." Anakin stood up and walked to the briefing room, where the other Jedi and Colonel Gillmunn were standing.

"How is Master Kenobi?" asked Vaabesh.

"Obi-Wan still hasn't awoken from his coma," Anakin answered. "What is our state of readiness?"

"Everyone still alive is ready for battle," answered Gillmunn.

"Good," Anakin replied. "Zule, why did the Separatists gain any ground?"

"Tae ignored your plan and ran out to charge the enemy lines," she answered. "He got blasted by a tank for his stupidity."

"Zule!" exclaimed Vaabesh. "That is no way to talk about a fallen friend!"

"Oh, yes it is!" shouted Zule. "You want to honor our fallen? Why don't you focus on people who deserve such treatment, like Elora or Tohno. They deserve it far more than that Murglak Glaive, who I wish I killed myself, and Tae, who had the survival instincts of a brain-damaged H'Nemthe groom."

"Nevertheless, they were our fellow Jedi, and deserving of our respect," Vaabesh said.

"Bravery is commendable," Anakin interrupted. "But what Tae did was suicidal. Because he deviated from the plan, he, his whole squad, Elora, the best Militia soldiers, and Tohno all died."

"I am not defending his behavior, I am defending his character," said Vaabesh. "Now that they are in chaos, we have our best opportunity to withdraw."

"Has your helmet sprung a leak?" asked Zule. "The fact they are in disarray is precisely why we should stay, we are making headway."

"They will surely have called for reinforcements by now," the Gand replied. "If we withdraw now, we can avoid further loss of life."

"Only for the moment, Vaabesh," Anakin pointed out. "If the Separatists gain control of this planet, they will be able to create entire armies of droids, each large enough to occupy Coruscant. More people will die later on down the line if we don't drive the Seps off of this planet now."

"So this is what war is like," muttered Vaabesh. "Ruthlessly prioritizing objectives over people, judging how many people we can save later rather than now, and treating our enemies as obstacles to be destroyed, instead of actual people. I don't know how you handle this Anakin, because I can't. I will resign my rank and request a transfer to a medical unit."

"I ask that you don't do that," said Anakin. "You can do more good out here than in a hospital. Regardless, until we have rid Jabiim of Stratus and the rest of his vermin, _you will remain a Commander, and you will help us win this battle_!" Anakin emphasized the last part as a command and then walked in front of Vaabesh, looking directly into his goggles. "Am I clear?" he asked rather aggressively.

"I understand perfectly, Anakin," Vaabesh answered. "I will not ask the Council for reassignment until we are back on Coruscant. In the meantime, I will go to my quarters to meditate." He then started walking away, until he turned around and looked back at Anakin and the others. "I need to speak to Anakin alone," he said. Anakin then nodded and everyone else left. "I suppose that I should be comforted that you are adapting swiftly to your new role. Despite that, I cannot help but fear what you could become if you do not stop."

"I don't get your meaning, Vaabesh," Anakin said.

"You are outmatched by these Separatists-"Vaabesh started.

"I'm what?!" Anakin exclaimed.

"You aren't a hardened Jedi Master!" Vaabesh said. "You are a Padawan with raw talent and too much anger. You are in over your head, people are dying and I don't want any more to die."

"Vaabesh, who do you think you are talking to?" Anakin asked. "The nine-year-old slave who saved Naboo? The teenage Padawan who killed Krayn and destroyed the slaver ring which terrorized the Outer Rim for twenty years? While you were in the Temple studying philosophy, I was out in the galaxy, the best Apprentice in the Order."

"You may be but-"Vaabesh started before being interrupted.

"NO, not may be, I am!" Anakin interrupted. "I am the reason thugs run rather than face the Jedi. I am the reason the Separatists send droids to fight their battles. The Seps are the ones who are outmatched. So no, Vaabesh, I am not in over my head! This planet won't be my grave but it will be theirs!"

Just then, Rex opened the door and entered the room. "Lieutenant Orar has just returned from his scouting mission, sir," he said. "He is ready to report his findings now."

"Tell everyone to come in, so we can listen to Marik's report," Anakin said, then turning to face Vaabesh. "Have made myself clear, or do we need to continue this conversation at a later date?"

"I understand perfectly, Anakin," Vaabesh replied. "We should not keep our friends waiting."

After the other Jedi and Gillmunn entered the room, Marik Orar entered. He wore the traditional armor of his people, with his helmet held in his arms. His armor was painted black and his helmet visor painted red. Warble had been a little unnerved by the color scheme until Marik had explained red was traditionally associated with honoring ones parents and black with justice. Marik was as tall as Anakin with blue eyes and light blond hair. He had a scar extending from under his right eye all the way down to his lip, left by a vibroblade during a bar fight. Not that the assailant got away to brag about it, getting the knife shoved through his eye afterward. When asked about his history, he revealed his mother, Talia, was from Kalavela, which was called New Mandalore or just Mandalore by the New Mandalorian faction. At her high school, she met a boy named Davrel Orar, who was secretly there to assassinate someone in order to pass the traditional final test to become a Mandalorian adult. The target happened to be Talia's racist, abusive stepfather, who had made the mistake of hit-and-running over a pair of Twi'leks. She was able to figure out what Davrel was there to do and decided to help him pull it off. After she was arrested as an accessory to the murder, she was freed from the prison transport and rescued by Davrel. Having few options, and wanting to hurt her mother, a firm believer of the New Mandalorian philosophy who had turned her over to her police, she did the one thing she knew would hurt her mother the most: she rejected the whole New Mandalorian ideal and embraced the violent, martial heritage of their ancestors. It wasn't long before she fell in love with Davrel, ultimately marrying him at sixteen and having their son, Marik, a year later. Eventually, after numerous jobs across the galaxy, the couple was hired to train clone troopers. They continued training clones after the Battle of Geonosis and they were taken off of the wanted lists in Republic space, though they were still considered criminals by the Kalavelan government. Marik, having grown tired of endless rain on Kamino and wanting adventure, joined the Republic army alongside a group of clones trained by his parents. He dubbed the clones who he considered brothers Star Team. They had already risen to prominence by thwarting a chemical weapons attack on Naboo by Dr. Jenna Zan Arbor. Zan Arbor was an old enemy of both Anakin and Obi-Wan, having killed thousands of people over her long career as freelance terrorist, including several Jedi, at one point smuggling assassin droids into the senate building and killing many Senators, guards, and aides. Unfortunately, Zan Arbor escaped Marik, just like she always did whenever Anakin or Obi-Wan got close, having already killed an entire colony of Gungans on the moon of Ohma-Dun she tried to launch her attack from. Marik had also met Zule on that moon, and the two of them really enjoyed spending time together, to the point where Glaive ordered Marik to follow a random Separatist convoy to its destination. Glaive had been killed before he could have a talk with Zule about attachment, so it was a wasted effort on his part (though Anakin didn't think Zule would have listened to the master she hated anyway.) Now, Marik had returned to Choal, so as to report on what he had found.

"It's good to see you again, sir," the young Mandalorian said. "I am sorry to hear about Commanders Diath, Sund, and Tohno. How is General Kenobi?"

"It is good to see you as well, Lieutenant Orar," Anakin said. "Obi-Wan still has not woken up, but the doctors say that he is recuperating just fine."

"That is good to know, sir," Marik said. "Surprisingly, the convoy we were sent to follow was more important than we thought. Griff, show them the readings you took."

A clone with pure yellow Katarn armor walked forward and pulled out a datapad, which he then activated, revealing a map of a Separatist base.

"This is located at Razor Coast, General Skywalker," said Griff. "We confirmed that Stratus, as well as the two Separatist advisers dispatched to aid him, are there. But the most important thing we saw was this." He then pointed toward a massive construction site at the middle of the base.

"What is that?" asked Aubrie.

"It looks like a missile launching facility," observed Kass.

"You are correct, Ma'am," said Marik. "They have constructed a missile site, capable of reaching anywhere on Jabiim."

"Why wouldn't they just fire the missiles in orbit?" asked Warble. "It would be faster and easier than transporting them to the surface and building a launching facility, just to launch the missiles."

"In case you haven't realized yet, Federation equipment is as cheap as it comes," said Zule. "Combine that with the atmospheric conditions and the likelihood of a missile launched from orbit hitting its target drastically decreases."

"But if it is launched from the surface," added Kass, "it is much more likely to hit its target."

"Please continue," Zule said to Marik.

"It will be thirty-six hours before the missiles are ready to launch," he continued. "Also, the convoy was transporting nuclear warheads."

"What?!" exclaimed Gillmunn. "What sort of useless buckethead are you?!"

With that statement, Marik uppercut the Jabiimi officer, knocking him to the floor.

"I did not realize what they were transporting until they were already inside the perimeter, you racist jerk!" Marik yelled back.

"Marik, calm down," said Anakin, pulling the Mandalorian back before turning to Gillmunn. "Colonel that comment was out of line. If you say that again there will be consequences. Marik, continue with your briefing."

"Thank you, General," Marik said. "The fortifications are too strong for anything but a full scale Republic assault."

"Which will provide them with enough time to launch the missiles at their targets," Warble pointed out.

"Which means our only hope of success is to deploy a small team to infiltrate and destroy the missiles before they can launch," Anakin added.

"Such a plan is very aggressive and-" Vaabesh started.

"Shut up, Vaabesh!" shouted Zule. "This is not the time for you to whine about how we should either surrender or run. Stratus and the Seps can't be reasoned with and when that base explodes along with Stratus, we will take this planet completely."

"Which is precisely what we will do," Anakin declared. "Marik, assemble your team. We will meet you in the landing bay along with Torrent Company and depart for the base ASAP. We will then destroy Stratus and his forces once and for all." After the briefing was concluded, everyone left the room to prepare for battle.

 **For those of you wondering, yes, I based Anakin's boast on Batman's speech to Alfred in Arkham Origins and yes, I made a Red Vs Blue reference. My headcannon is that that desert planet with bubble cities was originally named Kalevela before the New Mandalorian faction renamed it Mandalore. Marik isn't worried about Gillmunn causing for him because they aren't part of the same organization. Yes, for Mandalorians, being Red and Black all over isn't seen as a bad thing. If any of you want to write a more detailed version of Marik's origin story or spinoffs of it, feel free to do so, just tell me. Also, Vaabesh is a deconstruction of Small Steps Hero: he is so focused on saving lives immediately and on the small picture he endangers countless more.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After briefing Torrent Company, which had now been expanded to the size of a true infantry company, Anakin joined the other Jedi along with Marik and his team in the gunships and vehicle transports, taking off toward Razor Coast. Colonel Gillmunn, Nolan, and their best militiamen had joined them to partake in the final battle for control of Jabiim. Anakin had realized that, in order for Jabiim to be safe, Stratus and his inner circle would have to die. Of course, Vaabesh and to a lesser extent Warble had disagreed, but the others recognized that the Separatists would lose Jabiim if their collaborators were killed. While their primary objective was to stop the missiles from launching, Stratus and his inner circle, along with Durge and the Dark Jedi that intelligence had identified as a Rattataki named Asajj Ventress, were to be considered targets of opportunity.

After an hour of flying through the stormy weather that defined Jabiim, the gunships landed just outside the base perimeter.

"Rex, Kass, Mak, stay here with Torrent Company and prepare to attack the launch pad after we have disabled the autoturrets," Anakin started. "Use the Saber Tanks for cover as you advance." The TX-130 Saber-class fighter tank was a new model of repulsor-tank. When Anakin was recovering from his injuries on Geonosis, he had personally participated in the final testing of the vehicle. It was equipped with twin laser cannons, two rocket launchers, and the top had a gunner's nest with a repeating blaster on it. Anakin had modified the shields of the tanks to make them more durable, against both energy blasts and projectiles. It would have been ideal if the troops could ride in an APC but as they did not have any, so they would have to run close behind the tanks for moving cover. "Zule, you and Marik will take Star Team into the turret control station and disable the turret controls. Aubrie, Vaabesh, you will accompany Gillmunn and the militia to the central command post where Stratus and his flunkies are. Do not let any of them escape. Warble and I will go for the enemy bunker where the warheads are, and insure they never mount one of Stratus's missiles. When the control station explodes, that will be your signal to attack. Zule, after the turrets are gone, engage any targets of opportunity you come across."

"Understood sir," said Rex. He then went out to brief the troops while the other Jedi apart from Vaabesh moved out to their assignments.

"Anakin, I would like to trade places with Warble, if that is alright," said Vaabesh. "Of all the things I could be doing on the battlefield, I would prefer ensuring that those warheads will never be used." Anakin looked at Vaabesh directly in the goggles.

"I want Warble to come with me because I trust him and I know he won't second-guess me," Anakin said. "I do not believe you will follow my lead in the field any more than you do in the briefing room and we don't have time for you to convince me otherwise. Now join up with Aubrie and her boyfriend."

"I don't believe that Aubrie has broken the code with Nolan," replied Vaabesh. "But, if I cannot convince you, I will proceed with my assignment to help them capture Stratus."

"Capture or kill," Anakin reminded the Gand. "If they escape, they will continue the war and Dooku will send even more of his droids here to help them. It is preferable they are captured but if it seems likely that they will escape, ensure that they don't." Anakin then walked off to meet with Warble.

"Was something keeping you?" the Aqualish asked when Anakin arrived.

"Vaabesh wanted to trade places with you," Anakin answered.

"Why didn't you agree?" asked Warble.

"Because, unlike you, Vaabesh is unreliable," Anakin explained. "I can't trust him to follow my lead or have my back."

"He means well, Anakin," Warble said. "He is just having trouble adjusting to his new responsibilities."

"No, he is trying to avoid his responsibilities," Anakin said. He then went on to explain Vaabesh stating his intention to transfer to a medical unit even though he had no training with force healing.

"I am sure that Vaabesh was just letting his stress speak for him," Warble said. "After this mission, I am sure he will have changed his opinion."

"Hopefully," said Anakin. "Until then, I'm not sure. Now let's get going."

After meeting up with Zule and Marik's team, they headed towards the base. After Zule discerned the search patterns of the autoturrets, they were able to slip past unnoticed while the turret on the eastern perimeter was facing a different direction, each of the Republic soldiers crossing two at a time. Once the entire team had crossed, Anakin and Warble separated from the rest and headed for the bunker containing the nuclear warheads. Once arriving at the bunker, Anakin and Warble split up to eliminate the guards. The ones that Warble came across he choked or knocked unconsciousness, while the ones that Anakin ran into he snapped their necks, using his prosthetic arm and force-augmented strength to do so quickly. Soon, all of the blue coated Nationalist soldiers on the outside of the bunker were dead or unconscious. After the two Jedi hid the corpses, they cut through the blast door with their lightsabers. After entering, they moved further into the structure, stealthily eliminating any adversaries inside the building, they finally reached the room where the warheads were being stored.

"Warble, help me collapse the ceiling with the force," Anakin said.

"Why didn't we do this at the start and not enter this bunker at all?" Warble asked.

"Because one of those goons might have been able to sound the alarm," Anakin explained. "Now they can't do anything."

The two Jedi reached out with the force and pulled the ceiling down on the doorway leading to the warheads.

Elsewhere…

After separating from Anakin and Warble, Zule and Marik took their team to the Turret Control Station. Marik went first and stabbed a sentry, while Zule strengthened herself with the force in order to break another sentry's neck. They stealthily infiltrated the building, the commandos following their superiors lead on silently eliminating any patrolling guards. When they arrived at the control room, Marik tossed a flashbang inside, stunning the Separatists. Zule then rushed in and sliced many of their adversaries with her lightsaber, while Marik and the commandos shot the rest.

"Your form is great," Marik complemented Zule.

"Which form is that?" teased the Falleen.

"Oh, well, when you put it like that, both of them," Marik said, thankful that is helmet concealed his blushing.

"You're not so bad yourself, Marik," Zule replied. "Do you think we were heard?"

"Probably not through all of that thunder and rain but let's not stick around to find out," Marik said, getting back to the task at hand. "Griff, set the charges!"

"Right, sir!" the clone obeyed. Griff planted the charges on the console controlling the turrets and set the timer for one minute. The whole team rushed outside to a safe distance before the charges went off, destroying the tower and disabling the turrets.

At the staging area…

"Commander Wyn, the turrets are blown!" shouted Rex.

"All forces advance!" ordered Aubrie. "Let's end this battle before it starts!"

The assembled clones and militia charged toward the enemy base, the infantry ran close behind the tanks, using the Sabers for moving cover. The Nimbus commandos raced toward the tanks on their repulsor boots but the clones, having come to expect such tactics, shot them before they could plant their charges. The blue-coated regulars fired from behind cover but their outdated weapons couldn't pierce the shielding and they were vaporized by the laser cannons. Aubrie was driving the lead tank, with Nolan as her gunner on top. Vaabesh was on the ground, deflecting blaster shots aimed at him and his squad and dispatching any adversaries that came too close. He tried to avoid killing his adversaries but more often than not the blaster bolts that hit their senders proved fatal and the ones whose limbs he severed usually went into shock from the lightsaber burns and maiming, losing consciousness in less than a minute from the pain.

"Commander Wyn!" shouted Colonel Gillmunn. "If we are to deal with Stratus's council, we must do it now!"

Aubrie understood, stepping out of the tank and handing over controls to Nolan while a clone took his place as gunner.

"Vaabesh, I know you are uncomfortable with this mission but-"she started.

"I don't like the assignment," the Gand said. "But I understand its necessity. Stratus's inner circle could elect a new leader if they escape. They cannot be allowed to escape if we are to end this battle decisively."

The two Padawans joined forces with the colonel and his militia, heading to the security bunker where Stratus's advisors were hiding. After shooting and slicing their way through the nationalist gauntlet, they emerged at the door to the bunker. Vaabesh and Aubrie cut through the door. They entered the bunker, with the militia right behind them. Eventually, they made it to the briefing room. But when they opened it, there was no one inside. Then, all of a sudden, a grenade went off, killing most of the militia guarding the rear. Immediately after, a pair of red lightsabers emerged from the ceiling, revealing Ventress holding herself above them. The Dark Jedi dropped herself into the middle of the militia phalanx and cut them all down. Gillmunn tried to shoot her but he was sliced in half vertically. The Dark Jedi then turned to the two Jedi.

"Don't be sad, I'm about to reunite you with your masters," the bald assassin taunted. She then rushed forward and slashed at Vaabesh's legs, who jumped out of the way in time, and stabbed at Aubrie's head, who also avoided the attack. "It doesn't matter if you take this planet," Ventress continued. "The Jedi here will all die, including you."

Vaabesh lunged forward with his lightsaber but the Rattataki dodged the attack and slashed back, almost taking his head off. She then telekinetically grasped and threw a conference table at him. He was smashed against the wall, knocking him unconscious. She then began her assault on Aubrie, slashing and stabbing at the Jedi Commander. Aubrie tried her best but was unable to keep up and her lightsaber was knocked out of her hand. Ventress was about to make the final strike when Vaabesh threw his lightsaber at her, slashing across her back. Asajj yelped in pain and jumped into a ventilation shaft to the surface. Aubrie rushed over to Vaabesh after grabbing her lightsaber. She saw that his breath mask had been shattered and he was coughing.

"Rex!" she shouted into her comlink. "Send a medic to my location now! The Nationalist leadership is not in this bunker! Repeat, Nationalist leadership is not in this bunker!"

"Understood, ma'am," Rex answered over the comlink. "I am sending Kix to your location now."

"Just hold your breath," Aubrie said to Vaabesh. "Remember the lessons we learned of breath control."

"I never bothered to learn," coughed Vaabesh. "Not… enough ammonia anyway."

"No, no!" shouted Aubrie as he collapsed onto the floor. She could feel the life in him slip away, so she tried her healing talents but it was too late.

"Ma'am, get back!" shouted Kix, who had arrived. The clone fastened a valve onto Vaabesh's mouth, pumping ammonia into his lungs at an extremely fast pace. Unfortunately, his lungs were damaged beyond repair by the oxygen exposure. That, coupled with the internal injuries from being crushed between the wall and a desk, made Kix's efforts in vain.

"I am sorry commander," he said. "His injuries were too extensive."

"We shall mourn later, for now, we have a battle to win," Aubrie said, pulling herself together before departing the bunker to get back in the battle.

 **I had Republic Intelligence mistake Ventress for a Rattataki both as an in-joke and because it seems likely, given how she is a very pale, bald Near-Human from Rattatak. By this point, most of the surviving Padawans recognize the most efficient way to deal with the Jabiimi Nationalists is to destroy their leadership, thereby preventing further loss of life later on and ensuring that they won't have to come back. Anakin chose Warble instead of Vaabesh because he is less likely to get in an argument with Warble in the middle of a mission. Having said that, I wanted to show that Vaabesh isn't some spineless strawman by having him actually be effective in battle, though realistically, his Technical Pacifism only goes so far in a pitched battle. If you thought that Asajj ran away too quickly, remember, Obi-Wan fell to the floor in pain simply from getting grazed in the arm and leg by Dooku on Geonosis. Clearly, even if you don't lose a whole limb to a lightsaber, you will still be in enormous pain. What did you guys think of the battle plan I used in this chapter? Read and Review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Zule felt the death of Vaabesh through the force. She could feel the pain he was in as he suffocated. Vaabesh was wound too tight to do his job but he was still her friend and she was angered by his death. She vowed to herself that his death would be avenged.

"Commander Xiss, Sergeant Orar!" shouted Griff. "I have positive I.D. on several Nationalist leaders heading for the eastern landing pad!"

"Mak and Kass are closer than we are, tell them to get over there now!" ordered Zule.

"Right away!" shouted Marik as he opened a communications channel to Mak and Kass.

Elsewhere…

Shortly after sensing the death of Vaabesh, Mak received a call from Marik who told him the Nationalist cabinet were escaping and he and Kass were the only ones close enough to stop them from doing so.

"Rex, continue destroying Stratus's army," ordered Kass. "Mak and I will be back as soon as we can."

"Understood, ma'am," the captain answered. "Good luck!"

After departing from the rest, Mak and Kass ran toward the landing pad where they heard the Nationalist council was heading. They arrived at the landing pad, where they encountered a large number of strange looking battle droids. Their bodies were entirely gray, several of them wore cloaks, they had glowing red eyes, including one on their chests, and instead of blasters, they were carrying electrostaffs as their weapons. They rushed forward swinging their staffs at the two Jedi. Kass evaded the strikes and swung back, discovering that the staffs were impervious to lightsabers. Mak beheaded one and moved onto the next, unaware that it was still moving. Kass blocked the attack of the headless droid and sliced it in half diagonally. Mak impaled one from behind before it could strike Kass.

"Behind you!" she shouted. He ducked before he could be struck on the back of the head, slicing off the feet of the droid as he did so. The droid then started a high pitched whine while crawling rapidly towards them. Realizing what was about to happen, the two Jedi jumped behind cover to avoid the explosion as well the shrapnel. The other droids followed and continued their attack. Their attacks intensified and Kass was hit on the leg, causing her to grunt in pain. Another hit Mak on the left hand causing him to drop his lightsaber. Kass blocked their next strike and kicked Mak's lightsaber back to him. One droid swung his staff forward, barely missing Kass. Mak attempted to send them flying with a force push but they stabbed their staffs into the ground and used them to hold on. The droids continued their attack immediately afterward.

"I'll handle things here, you stop the Nationalist council from escaping," said Mak.

"I'm not leaving you," Kass retorted. "If we die, we do so together." She had no intention of letting the man she loved die. She opened a channel to Rex and ordered him to help them. After fighting off the droids for another minute, Rex arrived and blasted them with a rocket launcher. Kass picked up one of the staffs and used the force to sprint to the landing pad. When she arrived the _Sheathipede-_ class shuttle had just taken off. Unwilling to let them escape, she jumped up and threw the electrostaff through the cockpit windshield, impaling the Nimbus Commando piloting. The damaged ship swerved out of control and crashed into a nearby missile battery. The resulting explosion destroyed both the launcher and the shuttle, along with all of its occupants, and knocked Kass flat on her back.

"Kass!" shouted a distorted voice. Shortly afterward, her vision stopped shaking and she realized she was being held by Mak.

"I am fine, Mak," she said. "It looks like you are as well." She then surprised him with a kiss, and he responded in kind.

Elsewhere…

"Where are you going?!" exclaimed Stratus as Durge loaded Ventress onto his ship, docked at the North landing pad.

"This planet is lost," Durge stated. "The Count, knowing our value, has ordered Asajj and me to retreat. You, on the other hand, have no further use to us." Durge then picked up Stratus and tossed him off the roof. He boarded his ship and took off, unaware that Stratus had used his repulsor boots to fly to an adjacent building.

With Anakin and Warble at the launch facility…

The provisional General and Warble were fighting a large number of the new battle droids with electrostaffs. Warble had taken several hits but Anakin hadn't been so much as touched. Warble parried an attack from one of them while Anakin utilized his prosthetic arm to rip off the head of the droid he was fighting. Warble tried to keep up but another droid got behind him and shocked his back, causing him to fall to the floor. Before Anakin could stop the droids, they stabbed Warble in the head with their electrostaffs.

"No!" he shouted, calling his fallen friend's lightsaber to his hand. Using his lightsaber in conjunction with Warble's, Anakin sliced through the remaining droids. He then rushed over to Warble but, as his head was smoking from how his brain had caught on fire, it was clearly too late to save the Aqualish. "I'm sorry, Warble," he said over his fallen friend. "I should have done this alone and sent you with Aubrie and Vaabesh." Then, the building started shaking. Anakin looked out the window to see two of the missiles launch. He ran to the control room. He saw Stratus in front of him.

"You think you've won!?" the Jabiimi Separatist yelled. "I will turn this into a day of mourning for the Republic and its lackeys! You can't stop the missiles!" He then threw the keycards containing the killcodes out the window. Anakin rushed forward and caught one of the cards before it fell into the abyss.

"You will not stop the missiles, no matter what you do!" shouted Stratus as he jumped onto Anakin. Anakin threw Stratus to the floor and beheaded the Separatist with a single stroke off his sword. He rushed toward the missile control. Looking at the missiles, one was headed for the Republic medical facility in Choal, another was headed for a refugee center on the outskirts of the city over a thousand people who had fled Stratus and his forces. Knowing that Obi-Wan was at the hospital, Anakin sent the killcode to the missile headed for the hospital. He then wearily walked out of the room to help end the battle below.

 **This chapter was much shorter than most, because I was adding what I couldn't fit in the previous chapter. I know that the assassin droids in the comic were a different model than the Magnaguards but I like the latter more. I hope that I captured their effectiveness in this chapter. As always, read and review.**


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Anakin looked over the remains of the base. It took another thirty minutes for the battle to end, with the Nationalists fighting to the last man, with the last man being a Nimbus Commando captain named Kraym. Kraym attempted to surrender but Nolan, angered by his father's death, executed the cowardly Separatist. Nolan was now grieving over his father's bifurcated remains. Kass, Mak, Aubrie, and Zule were looking over the bodies of Warble and Vaabesh, along with the fifteen clones who were killed. They had also received a distress signal claiming that a meteor had impacted the refugee camp. When they were done loading the wounded onto the transports and processing data on the Nationalists, they would go to help the survivors of Stratus's spite. Anakin looked up when he heard the medical transports arrive. He was surprised when he saw who was onboard, departing after the medics left for the wounded.

"Master?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, Anakin, I am alright," Obi-Wan said. "I awoke when I felt a massive disturbance in the force."

"That wasn't here," Anakin clarified. "Stratus wanted to spite us by destroying both the Republic military hospital, along with a refugee camp. Unfortunately, Stratus had destroyed one of the keycards with the killcode. So I was only able to stop one of the missiles."

"I am sorry you needed to be put in that position, Anakin," said Obi-Wan. "I won't question your judgement, as I wasn't here. Though I do wonder why you haven't gone to the aid of the refugee camp yet."

"We were waiting for our medical transports to evacuate the wounded," Anakin explained. "I am not going to let anymore clones or Jedi die on this planet."

"I see you have learned the economics of war," said Obi-Wan. "An unpleasant but necessary reality. From what I understand, you led our forces admirably during my absence."

"I did what was needed, Master," Anakin replied.

"I know, which is why I am going to tell you something," Obi-Wan responded. "Because of the massive loss of Jedi at Geonosis, to say nothing of our losses since, the Council has decided to promote several more experienced Padawans to Knighthood. Including you, Anakin."

Anakin was surprised, Obi-Wan had given no indication that he was to undergo the trials anytime soon.

"I am to undergo the trials?" Anakin asked.

"No," answered Obi-Wan. "Everything you faced here substituted for them. You will be Knighted as soon as we are back on Coruscant."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," said Anakin. "But what of the others?"

"Every Padawan sent here was also being considered," Obi-Wan answered. "It is unfortunate that only half of them will be doing so, and that none of their Masters will be able to attend."

"That is good to know," Anakin replied. "I also recommend that Lieutenant Orar, Corporal Gillmunn, and Captain Rex also receive recognition for their bravery."

"I will see to it," Obi-Wan said, briefly looking over to see the last of the wounded being loaded onto the transports and heading back to base. "Now, let us help the last victims of Stratus's brutality."

Later, at the remains of the refugee camp…

Zule surveyed the wreckage of the camp. While the missile, having no warhead, didn't cause any fallout, the impact was enough to almost completely level everything present. Most of the inhabitants were killed and all of the survivors were wounded. She was tasked to help them.

"Wow, Stratus really didn't like to lose," she heard Marik mutter. "Even in death he is causing us problems, General."

"I haven't been knighted yet," Zule said. To tell the truth, she thought the Council had sent her here on a suicide mission. She never believed they would promote her to Knight, as Oppo Rancisis told her she would die in a bar fight. She knew that Glaive, the Murglak that he was, would never have gone for it. "I guess they must be really desperate if they decided to Knight me."

"Well, I guess they are better at recognizing talent than I originally thought," Marik said.

"It appears so," she agreed. "Don't worry, though. My opinion of the code, and my feelings for you, have not changed."

"Nice to know," Marik smirked under his helmet. "I will tell Mom and Dad they need to make a wedding cake."

"One thing at a time," Zule laughed. "Don't worry, though. I have no objections to it later."

"Good to know," Marik replied to the Falleen he loved.

Later, at the Choal Spaceport…

Aubrie was waiting for the ship that would take her back to Coruscant for Knighting. Sirrus had said to her she would be a fine Jedi Knight, but she didn't think this soon. She only wished that he could have been here for it.

"So, you are becoming a Knight," she heard a familiar voice say. She turned to her side and saw Nolan Gillmunn, who she hadn't seen since his father's death. He was carrying a set of bags with him.

"I suppose so," she said. "Are you going somewhere? I thought you would stay to help rebuild."

"Dad is dead, along with everyone I grew up with, some of whom I killed myself, my hometown is destroyed, and nine out of every ten Militia members are dead," he said. "The Jabiim I knew is gone forever. I will get a new life elsewhere."

"Where will you go?" she asked.

"I have joined the Republic Army," he said. "General Skywalker has gotten me assigned to the unit you are taking command of."

She was very surprised by this. "You are the only friend I have left, Aubrie," he said. "I will do everything I can to make sure you survive."

"You mean much to me as well, Nolan," she said. "I will protect you as well."

"That is good to know," he smiled. "It looks like our transport is here now. You will have to show me around Coruscant when we get there."

"Don't worry," she smiled back. "I'll be sure to take you to all of the sites."

Three weeks later, at the remains of a Nationalist Base…

"Didn't you idiots hear?" Kass asked an injured Nationalist lying at her feet. "You lost."

"As long as one of us breathes, the true Jabiimi will fight for our free-"the Separatist proclaimed before Mak stomped his head into the ground.

"I guess we will have to kill all of you then," he said.

"I see that I'm not the only one who has learned from Anakin," she said.

"It is the only way to deal with these vermin," he said. After they were all Knighted, Kass and Mak volunteered to go back to Jabiim to destroy the leftover Separatist presence. They had just destroyed the last organized Nationalist base. All that was left were a few rabble rousers and bandits that the Militia-now reorganized and better equipped-could easily handle. "At least it's over now and we can move onto better things."

"You got that right," she said. "So, back with those Magnaguards, I thought we were both going to die there, and I was letting off stress, so-"

"Kass, please stop," Mak said. It was the first time they were able to talk to each other freely since she had kissed him. "I have denied my feelings for you for years. But after that, I can't anymore. And I don't think you can either."

Kass paused for a second. "No, I can't," she said. "But are you sure? We would need to do everything we can in order to hide ourselves. Is it worth it?"

"Yes, Kass, it is, and I love you," Mak said. There, he had confessed it. There was no turning back now.

"I have long imagined you saying that," the Zabrak said. "Just so you know, I love you to."

"Then there is nothing stopping me from doing this," her new lover said before kissing her. After kissing for several minutes, they called the friends who they had fought alongside on this planet, inviting them to their private wedding, knowing they would not betray their secret.

 **There we are, I have finished Rains of Jabiim. For those of you wondering, I always meant for Marik to be a Lieutenant but I sometimes wrote Sergeant instead. For those of you thinking that Mak and Kass went rather fast to marriage, they have clearly known each other a long time and Anakin and Padme got married after roughly a week of romance. If anyone thinks that Obi-Wan would criticize Anakin for his decision to save him instead of the refugees, I think that Obi-Wan would appreciate that Anakin was faced with a terrible choice and hundreds of clones and loyalists would die if Anakin hadn't saved the hospital. I hope that I got the characters of each of the Padawan Pack right. I do think that Mak and Kass would know it is alright to trust their closest friends with their greatest secret. As always, Read and Review.**


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